Prominent commentator Armstrong Williams on Friday defended a contract under which the U.S. Department of Education paid him $240,000 to promote President Bush’s No Child Left Behind education initiative, but he said he understands why critics are questioning whether the deal was ethical.

Williams, a conservative pundit who has a syndicated television show and writes op-ed pieces that appear in many newspapers, made numerous TV appearances on Friday to respond to a front-page article in USA Today detailing the contract.

We shouldn't be too surprised by Williams penchant for payola, just check out one of his recent columns:

The changing Supreme Court...and the great taste of Miller Genuine Draft